Govt sacks all five independent directors of MRPL appointed by UPA

September 16, 2014

Mangalore, Sep 16: The government has sacked all the five independent directors of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL), leaving the company board with no powers to take any large investment decision.

MRPL
MRPL in a filing to the stock exchanges today said: "Five non official part time directors namely, C L Shah, Neela Gangadharan, Prof Usha Kiran Rai, Prof Jayant M Modak and Capt John Prasad Menezes have ceased to be Directors on the Board of the Company."

With this, the board has lost its power to pass accounts, or take any large investment decisions. All the five independent directors were appointed by the previous UPA regime on October 22 last year for a three-year term.

This follows removal of all the UPA-appointee independent directors on board of Coal India Ltd (CIL) and sacking of four such appointees from IOC board. Besides, two UPA appointees on board of Engineers India Ltd too have been booted out.

Unlike Coal India, where the directors were told to quit and those who did not were voted out at company's shareholders meeting, in case of MRPL and IOC no resolution confirming appointments was moved.

Sources said the MRPL directors were appointed after the last shareholders meeting and their appointment was to be ratified at the company's annual general meeting (AGM) on September 13.

In absence of the company moving a resolution seeking confirmation of their appointments, the five ceased to be directors on the company board.

After their exit, MRPL board now has six functional and promoter directors. These are Chairman D K Sarraf, Managing Director H Kumar, Director (Finance) Vishnu Agrawal, Director (Refinery) V G Joshi, Oil Ministry nominee director P Kalyanasundaram and HPCL nominee director B K Namdeo.

MRPL is a subsidiary of state explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC). Though the government has no shareholding in MRPL, it holds 68.94 per cent of ONGC.

Sources said IOC too had not moved a resolution for confirmation of appointment of K Jairaj, Nesar Ahmad, Sunil Krishna and Sayan Chatterjee at its AGM on August 27.

In absence of shareholder approval, the four, who were appointed by the previous UPA government in March this year for a three-year term, ceased to be directors on IOC board.

Shah is a chartered accountant C L Shah while Gangadharan is a former bureaucrat. Modak is a professor at the Indian Institute of Science Professor while Rai is a Professor of Marketing at Banaras Hindu University Usha Kiran Rai.

There is also a move to seek removal of former Power Secretary P Uma Shankar, chartered accountant S Ravi and former BPCL Chairman R K Singh from the board of ONGC.

Similarly, chartered accountant Rohit Khanna is being sought to be removed from the board of Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) in a similar manner.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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News Network
November 30,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 30: A 22-year-old college student succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital in Mangaluru today, days after she was hit by a goods tempo while crossing a road in Padubidri.

The deceased has been identified as Preksha, a resident of Nadsalu Billitota in Padubidri. The fatal incident occurred as Preksha, who was returning home after completing her examination, attempted to cross the service road towards Mangaluru. She was struck by a goods tempo approaching from the Udupi side, causing her to fall and sustain a severe head injury.

Prompt action from local residents ensured she received immediate first aid before being rushed to a hospital in Mangaluru for specialised treatment. Despite medical efforts, she passed away while undergoing care.

Preksha was a student at Karavali College, Vamanjoor on the outskirts of Mangaluru city. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that she belonged to a financially vulnerable family, having previously lost her father. She is survived by her mother and brother.

A case related to the accident has been registered at the Padubidri police station, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances that led to the collision. The incident highlights the growing concerns over road safety, particularly on busy service roads, and serves as a tragic reminder of the human cost of traffic accidents.

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News Network
December 3,2025

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Mangaluru, Dec 3: A group of Congress workers gathered at the Mangaluru International Airport on Wednesday to welcome AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, but the reception quickly turned into a display of support for Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Venugopal arrived in the city to participate in the centenary commemoration of the historic dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Narayana Guru. The event, organised by the Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, in association with the Mangalore University Sri Narayana Guru Study Chair, is being held on the university’s Konaje campus.

KPCC general secretary Mithun Rai and several party workers had assembled at the airport to receive Venugopal. However, the moment he stepped out, workers began raising slogans backing Shivakumar.

The university programme will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

This show of support comes just a day after Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar would lead the government “when the high command decides.” The chief minister made the comment after a breakfast meeting at Shivakumar’s residence—another public display of camaraderie between the two leaders amid ongoing attempts by the party high command to downplay their leadership rivalry.

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